Unlike many rappers who claim they are Muslim, but seem to follow none of Islam's teachings, Mos Def actually applies the noble religion to his every day life. Right at the very beginning of his debut solo album Black On Both Sides, Mos Def says in Arabic "Bism-Allah-ir-Rahman-il-Rahmeen," meaning "In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate," a declaration that all Muslims say when they are about to perform any task.

The entire album, and many of Mos Def's songs on other albums, are littered with praise to Allah and Islamic references, namely:

"(Ameen) Pray Allah keep my soul and heart clean/ (Ameen) Pray the same thing again for all my team" -Love

"I got alot of things I got to do/ But Insha'Allah I'll be back to you" -Travellin' Man

"This once in a lifetime like a Halley's comet/ Yo, we bring it to Medina like the Prophet Mohammed/ Peace be upon he, and, we MCs" -Fortified Live

"Allah has gifted me/ With great ability/ To speak to my beloved/ And make em all love it" -Shinjiro

"Allah is the king of the world/ We're just subjects/ Allah is the king/ Allah is the king" -Shinjiro

"If anybody hears anything that's useful from me, or sees me doing something positive or productive, it's from Allah. And if people see me falling short, or they see my deficits, then that's from my own shortcomings. And I hope that Allah will make it easy for me, have mercy and give me strength and encouragement to do what's right." -Interview with The Fader

"Don't play me like the next man/ I don't eat ham or swine/ All I do is rock fly lines" -Westwood Freestyle

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow/ I fear no man because faith is the arrow" -Know That

"When brother's right, Muslim right and compose self" -On My Own

Mos Def's song All Praise Due is entirely themed around praising Allah. Also, in his "Thank You" message inside his CD booklets, he takes an entire paragraph (an essay, almost) to thank Allah for everything He provided Mos with.

On other songs, where Mos Def doesn't directly mention Islam, it is obvious Islam's teachings inspired some of the themes. On "Got", Mos Def talks about people who value material possessions, and who use these to show off, something that Islam frowns upon. On "Fear Not of Man", he talks about fearing no one but God. He also says that money and looks don't make someone valuable, but the fact that Allah created each and every one of us is what makes us valuable. In "Umi Says", Mos Def highlights the fact that we can die on any given day, and that we should be righteous in the present, because we may not live very long. On many of his songs, Islamic influence appears directly and indirectly.

But Mos Def also lives out what he talks about. At his concerts, he doesn't allow alcohol to be sold to the audience. He is also married with children, and marriage is the cornerstone of Islamic life. He tries to be righteous at all times, and gives alot back to the community as you can see from the Benefits section. In his music videos, he doesn't portray woman as objects as many rappers do. In his songs, he doesn't swear senselessly, and the subject matter is always appropriate and in good taste.

I agree that Mos Def is a wonderful artist and i love the way he incorporates Islam into his lyrics. I have been trying to spread the word about this brotha, but some Muslims seem to have a negative view about him because he is a performer. I hear so much that he is not cool because as Muslims, we are not supposed to be singing or in the public eye. What do you think of this?

Sis. Divine1, I think it's ridiculous. It doesn't say no where in the Qu'ran where we're supposed to keep a low profile. Sure we're supposed to be modest but we're also supposed to spread the word of Islam or at least let it be known and that's what Mos is doing. If it wasn't for people like him, many people would still lack understanding of Islam. Being in the public eye is what led some people to Islam. Mos Def is doing good deeds. As for we're not supposed to sing, they do it all the time in Islamic Africa especially on Sallah Day (a muslim fesitval).

People who usually think like that are the Arabs. (who like to add extras to it)